SHEDDING!!! Help!!!

[Cajunboi]

Buster has been shedding now for 3 months!!! At the end of February he started with quite a heavy shed and it has continued until now… It did taper off last month for a little bit but is right back at full force! Fur is EVERYWHERE! He like to flop against his cage and there is always tufts of hair collected on the bars… The levels in his cage are covered with fabric and they are covered with fur… Actually all the bars of his cage have hair collected on them… There is fur floating around the room!!! What is it and will it quit! I am constantly vaccuming….

HELP!!!!!!!!!

[BinkyBunny]

How old is he? Was the one in February his first molt? IF so, then that would be normal as many times the first molt is the worst. If not, then has there been some major weather changes?  Or has your home been particularly warm?

You can also help this along with daily combing/brushing during heavy molting.

[RabbitPam]

The hose attachment on a vacuum is good for getting the fur in the cage off, along with the area around it. After you let him out go into his house so he doesn’t get upset that you’re in there. That should help cut back on it floating and reattaching to itself.

You can also wet your hands and smooth them across his body, so it comes off on your hands.

[MooBunnay]

It seems like mine are in a very bad shed right now as well. There is not much you can do to prevent it, but there are a lot of ways to clean it up The hose attachment on the vacuum that RabbitPam mentioned is great for cleaning, and during shed time we vacuum the cages once or twice a week. Also, we try to brush them every night during shedding time, and pluck out the really big furs.

[bunnytowne]

A good brushing every day helps some.   Just don’t brush for a long long time as bunny may get impatient.

So there is a cloud of hair similar to pig pen’s dust cloud on charlie brown?   We had that here too.  The hair cloud I mean.

Hairbuster comb works great.  Some people like the slicker brush I use both.

[Cajunboi]

Thanks for the replies! Binky Bunny: Buster is about a year and four months old. He has shed many times since we’ve taken him in… They have just never lasted THREE MONTHS!!! It’s just a very heavy shed and it’s lasted this long… We moved to south Texas from Dallas in march and he was shedding already… We keep our house on 68 degrees almost year round…

RabbitPam: I have a very expensive Rainbow vacuum that I use very frequently as I am a clean freak and cant stand all this fur! I always let him out of his condo to vacuum it as he hates the vacuum and I move his condo all around to get to the mess of hair all around it…

MooBunnay: I normally vacuum their cages once a week but right now I am vacuuming three times a week… There is fur everywhere! I have gone through a heavy molt with him before and it lasted about 2 weeks… NEVER 3 MONTHS!!!

Bunnytowne: YES!!! There are CLOUDS of fur just like pigpen… Everywhere Buster flops against his cage (which is his favorite thing to do) there are tufts of hair wrapped in the bars just like if the cage was combing him and the hair was staying behind!

I LOVE this little cutie to death but I am so frustrated… Every time we vacuum we have to vacuum all the furniture in the room he is in… I just wanted to know if something was wrong that it was lasting so long… I guess we will just wait it out!

Thanks peeps!

[BinkyBunny]

Rabbits go through 4 molts per year, usually two heavy and two light (on average). 3 months is rather long though - but I know my own bunnies have had some very long constant irritating molts here and there throughout their lifetime.  Has it just been a slow constant shedding? Does he seem itchy at all? Do you notice any scabs or flakes?

Jack had a very long couple of months worth of slow molts – not big explosion types, but just a constant irritating sheds. Brushing did help to lower how much hair went into the environment.

Stress can also cause hair shedding.  For example, many bunnies will shed like crazy when the go to vet’s office.   Has he been under any stress?  II know moving can be stressful for some - is he a nervous bunny? My bunny Jack does not like change.  When we moved it took him over a month to even want to explore – it was rather stressful for him even though he had much more space and a better habitat.

[Cajunboi]

No, He isn’t a nervous Bunny… He was neutered about 6 weeks ago but went through that fine… We have taken two trips before he was neutered, One was the move and the other a trip to visit family… He is a great traveler! IT didn’t seem to bother him at all… He is such a chill bun! He is always flopping all over the house… I am trying to bond him and August right now but he is in love and that doesn’t bother him either… I don’t know… I guess it’s just something he’s going through… I don’t know if i’d call it a slow molt… Fur is Everywhere and it builds up FAST!

[BinkyBunny]

Well, then hopefullly, yet unfortunately, it may be just one of those annoying slow molts. I hate those too, gets in everything, including my eyes, my nose etc. Gack…I’m getting itchy just thinking about it.

Good luck and hang in there!

[BinkyBunny]

Oh, I just thought of something – have you changed his feed at all? Has he been through any diet changes in the past few months?  Also, sometimes certain seed treats can  stimulate molting.

[RabbitPam]

Just want to add that the Hairbuster comb is something I got about the same time that BT did. We both like it, and now that Sammy is shedding her first shed, she is liking it. She didn’t before, but now that there’s fur to get off of her she seems quite happy to let me comb her.

I’m wondering if it’s being caused by a problem. Have you asked your vet?

[Cajunboi]

Sorry I’ve been away….
No his Feed has been the same since we took him in… He has had the same types of treats as always… I don’t feed him any junk… Everything they eat is fresh… Green Leaf, Kale, Romaine, Cilantro, Carrot, teeny weeny bits of apple about twice a week, Timothy Hay and pellets once a day.

RabbitPam: Thanks for the brush advice… I’ve tried a few and I don’t like them… I will try that one and see!

[KatnipCrzy]

I LOVE the Hair Buster comb- get your bunny somewhere the bun is not used to being- and that can help keep the bunny still for longer.  Last weekend we took Cotton out of our deck and I had a towel so she would not slip on the glass patiio table- and since she felt a little out of her element (usually she is hopping around, thinking she is running the house) she stayed still MUCH longer that she usually would- and the Hair Buster works wonders on bunny fur!

Cotton has super thick fur- but it is very soft and fine also.  There were puffs of fur floating away during the grooming session- and I was so happy thinking “yeah, that isn’t being shed in our house!”  I also think a Zoom Groom works well- and damp hands to pull out the loose fur at the end of the grooming session.

Cottons rump seems to shed all the time- it never seems to stop.  She is short haired and I don’t think her fur could be any thicker or finer.  We trim their nails once a month- and usually at that time also while she is subdued- I grab the Hair Buster and comb the back of her legs and rump to get even more hair out of her.

[BinkyBunny]

I have to tripple ditto the hairbuster comb. That is my favorite too!

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